Kristin Conrad Kilgallen received an MA in Philosophy from The University of British Columbia. Their primary interests are feminist and Indigenous philosophy and they study the epistemic impact of philosophy’s lack of diversity. Photo Credit: Shane Kilgallen
What excites you about philosophy?
Philosophy can be defined as few different things. For me, this discipline is (at least partly) about exploring concepts. Some things are quite black and white—usually near the centre of a concept. But concepts are unbound; I get excited about the edges and the richness of exploring in the grey areas where they overlap and rub up against each other.
What topic do you think is under explored in philosophy?
The philosophy of diversity! I believe that widening the historically narrow cannon of Philosophy to include more perspectives is better for Philosophy, epistemically speaking (this is closely connected to standpoint theory.) But what does that mean? It seems to me that diversity is not simply a “checklist” of standpoints or intersections a department should have, but something else—perhaps something more phenomenological. This seems like a particularly important question now, given the recent increase in institutional diversity initiatives. There’s a lot of discussion about diversity but very little theorizing about how to best go about making our institutions more diverse.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on a collective endeavor called The Philosophy Exception. Myself and a group of three other philosophers (Matthew Smithdeal, Jasper Heaton, and our leader Alison Wylie) have undertaken a metaphilosophical investigation into the problems of EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) in Philosophy. The demographic profile of Philosophy is actually more like STEM fields when it comes to tenured professors. We are an outlier compared to most other arts, humanities and social sciences. The general feeling in the field is that Philosophy is slowly but steadily becoming more diverse, yet has reached some sort of a standstill. There is a growing field of research concerning the reasons behind “the Philosophy exception,” why there are such persistent inequities, and what to do about it. We have assembled a collection of evidence, calls to action, hypotheses and interventions on a website we hope to share with the public this fall.
What is your favorite thing that you’ve written?
I recently presented a paper at our graduate student colloquia about loneliness and belongingness among graduate student cohorts. Graduate students occupy this precarious position where we are both students and staff. Like any other workplace, feeling included can lead to an increased sense of self-worth and all of the other good side effects that come along with belongingness. In contrast, feeling like one doesn’t belong or feeling lonely because of this environment can have detrimental effects. If being lonely causes one to think improperly (as the psychological literature suggests), it stands to reason that a lonely graduate student may not perform at their full capacity. Some students remain in PhD programs for about six years in Canada; that is a long time for negative feelings, if they exist, to compound. This paper evolved out of a seminar I took with Kimberley Brownlee, and her idea that our ordinary interactions are a matter of ethics. She also has a new book called “Being Sure of Each Other.”
If you could have a one-hour conversation with any philosopher or historical figure from any time, who would you pick and what topic would you choose?
I have a lot of questions for Descartes. I find the mind/body problem almost endlessly fascinating, so I’d love to hear his thoughts given scientific developments since the 17th century.
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
She would be very confused! I found Philosophy late in life. As a child I always wanted to be an author, and I actually came to UBC to study creative writing. I took a summer elective in value theory that drastically altered the course of my studies and, I suppose, my life. It was so interesting that I took another philosophy class, then a few more, until my entire schedule was philosophy and I switched majors. I am privileged in that I have been able to study what I enjoy for no other reason than it excites me. I work as a tutor and some of my students force themselves through programs they dislike (often family/financial pressures are a factor here) and that breaks my heart, but I can understand the desire for a more “practical” degree. I think philosophy is super practical though! It helps me live my life and I’ve been known to say that philosophy made me a better person.
What’s your personal philosophy?
So, I don’t think that a lot of philosophers have a personal philosophy, so to speak. Someone once said to me that “philosophers don’t have a personal philosophy any more than chemists have a personal chemistry.” However, I do have one; I am a staunch existentialist. I think the idea that we create and form ourselves is very important. I explain more about why I believe that in this video!
What’s your favorite quote?
From Simone de Beauvoir; “On ne naît pas femme : on le devient.” Or, in English, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” To me, this quote suggests that instead of looking for a biological basis for womanhood, we should focus on the social etiology of gender.
What are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Right now, I am reading “Victoria Sees It” by my colleague Carrie Jenkins. I was recently her teaching assistant for a really interesting course on Philosophy and Literature, where we spent the first half discussing the differences and similarities between philosophy and literature, and then students produced their own work of creative writing inspired by the texts we studied. Carrie’s novel is described as a “queer psychological thriller” and also falls into the academic novel genre, dealing with themes of mental health, feminism and sexism. With lots of philosophy! I highly recommend it.
What’s your top tip or advice for APA members reading this?
Challenge the academy. I consistently find that some of the most interesting philosophical questions come from my students whose minds have not been “colonized” by this discipline. It seems to me that the more we study philosophy, the more we become trained in a certain way of thinking. It’s difficult to break out of, but I think it is important to keep looking for new angles and interrogating the legacy of thinkers before us.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
